1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for attaching crimping members, a sheet binding device, and an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there are known a sheet binding device for binding a bundle of sheets on which images have been formed and an image forming apparatus equipped with the sheet binding device.
In International Publication Pamphlet No. WO 2009/110298, there is described a crimping sheet binding device that binds a bundle of sheets by crimping the sheets without using a metal staple in such a way that the sheet binding device strongly engage crimping teeth, which are a pair of jagged crimping members, thereby entwining fibers of the sheets. The bundle of sheets is bound by crimping without using a metal staple; therefore, when the bundle of sheets is disposed or put through a shredder, it is possible to avoid the trouble of having to remove the metal staple from the bundle of sheets.
In a conventional crimping sheet binding device, one of a pair of crimping members is attached on a fixed member, and the other crimping member is attached on a movable member that can move close to and away from the crimping member attached on the fixed member.
However, due to attachment errors of the crimping members and the accuracies of the members attached to the crimping members, etc., the crimping members may be attached in positions deviated from their original engagement position. If the crimping members are attached in positions deviated from the original engagement positions in this way, the crimping members have a strongly-engaged portion and a weakly-engaged portion, thereby fail to apply a stable binding force.
In view of the above problem, there is a need to provide a method for attaching crimping members, sheet binding device, and image forming apparatus capable of achieving a stable binding force.